Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (Greek: Αὐτόνομος Δημοκρατία τῆς Βορείου Ἠπείρου, romanized: Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou) was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars on 28 February 1914, by the local Greek population in southern Albania (Northern Epirotes).
Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus Αὐτόνομος Δημοκρατία τῆς Βορείου Ἠπείρου Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou | |||||||||
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| 1914 | |||||||||
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| Anthem: Ύμνος εις τὴν Ελευθερίαν "Hymn to Freedom" | |||||||||
| Status | Independence under provisional, unrecognized status: 28 February – 17 May 1914 Autonomy under nominal (unimplemented) Albanian sovereignty: 17 May – 27 October 1914 | ||||||||
| Capital | Argyrokastron (Gjirokastër) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Official: Greek, Secondary: Albanian | ||||||||
| Ethnic groups | Greeks Albanians Aromanians | ||||||||
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox Muslim | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Northern Epirot | ||||||||
| Government | Provisional | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1914 | Georgios Christakis-Zografos | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Declaration of Independence | 28 February 1914 | ||||||||
• Protocol of Corfu | 17 May 1914 | ||||||||
• 2nd Greek Administration | 27 October 1914 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• Estimate | 223,000 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Albania | ||||||||
The area, known as Northern Epirus to Greeks and with a substantial Greek population, was taken by the Greek Army from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War (1912–1913). The Protocol of Florence, however, had assigned it to the newly established Albanian state. This decision was rejected by the local Greeks, and as the Greek Army withdrew to the new border, an autonomous government was set up at Argyrokastron (Greek: Αργυρόκαστρον, today Gjirokastër), under the leadership of Georgios Christakis-Zografos, a distinguished local Greek politician and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with tacit support from Greece.
In May, the autonomy was confirmed by the Great Powers with the Protocol of Corfu. The agreement ensured that the region would have its own administration, recognized the rights of the local population and provided for self-government under nominal Albanian sovereignty. However, it was never fully implemented because in September the Albanian government collapsed. The Greek Army reoccupied the area in October 1914 following the outbreak of World War I. It was planned that Northern Epirus would be ceded to Greece following the war, but the withdrawal of Italian support and Greece's defeat in the Asia Minor Campaign resulted in its final cession to Albania in November 1921.